The state DOT is offering discounts and promotions to CTfastrak riders

Ride the bus, get a cookie.

Or enjoy a buck off the cost of lunch, a discount on a haircut or — for the adventurous — maybe a plate of deep-fried catfish fingers.

Starting this month, CTfastrak riders can use their proof-of-payment receipts or tickets to get discounts at nearly 20 central Connecticut businesses through a new deal set up by the state transportation department.

Special promotions are new ground for CT Transit and the state DOT, which have historically focused on providing reliable but no-frills transit bus service around the state.

The debut of the busway in March has changed that. The DOT hired a marketing consultant, plastered the CTfastrak logo over billboards, and on opening week brought spotlights and live radio broadcasts to the downtown New Britain station.

The busway between New Britain and Hartford has been so successful since it opened in late March that the state will use...

NEW BRITAIN — Doubling down on a controversial position, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Monday announced the new state budget will expand CTfastrak to East Hartford and Manchester.

The busway between New Britain and Hartford has been so successful since it opened in late March that the state will use...

(DON STACOM and MATTHEW KAUFFMAN)

Every couple of weeks, the DOT now highlights a different special event that riders can reach via the busway, such as the Greek Festival in New Britain last month or the UConn women's basketball victory parade in Hartford in April.

The newest initiative is dubbed "CTfastrak Rewards" and offers discounts from a variety of merchants and restaurants along the New Britain to Hartford busway route. Riders can show their proof of payment to get a free American flag from Budget Printers, a free cookie at Café Beauregard in New Britain, an appetizer — such as fried green tomatoes or Creole deviled eggs — at Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford, or a 10 percent discount at the East Side Restaurant in New Britain, The Corner Pug in West Hartford or Pho Viet in Newington.

The 12:45 a.m. bus to New Britain from downtown has the unmistakable sound of a rolling party.

On bus 1473 last Thursday, about 80 young partyers fill the seats and jam the aisles, thunderously chanting...

(DON STACOM)

There are discounts for buying toys, haircuts, Central Connecticut State University football tickets, printed signs and museum or fitness club memberships, too. A complete list of the offers and the restrictions and disclaimers is at http://tinyurl.com/pnzn7ff.

Businesses don't pay anything to participate. In a statement issued by the DOT, Black Eyed Sally's owner James Verano called the arrangement "a smart tool for business owners." Nick Augustino, owner of the East Side and an early busway proponent, said it's a way to extend the reach of his restaurant's marketing.

Transit Administrator Michael Sanders said the DOT wants to do more to market its network of bus services, and will introduce more promotions for the regular CT Transit districts in the future. The DOT is looking to build its marketing expertise to accomplish that, since it never has had money to hire or assign staff for that work.

CTfastrak, however, has gotten a heavy dose of marketing and community outreach, with staffers frequently visiting major employers and community groups along the route. Connecticut's first bus rapid transit system cost an estimated $567 million to build, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration made it clear that the DOT was expected to adopt a much more aggressive approach to marketing it.

The stations, buses, printed schedule and glossy fliers for CTfastrak all carry a distinctive green-and-white theme with prominent display of the CTfastrak logo. None of the design is interrupted by the side-of-the-bus advertising that's common on CT Transit's blue buses; on the CTfastrak fleet, that space isn't for rent.

CTfastrak is also the first bus system in the state to incorporate a ticketless fare system on at least part of its routes. Fareboxes are used for stops on local streets, but passengers boarding at any of the regular busway stations pay for their ride at the platform and simply board the bus without stopping. Fare enforcement staffers are assigned to randomly check that riders have their proof of purchase forms. Those without are subject to fines.

The DOT is using CTfastrak to introduce smartcard fare systems, "real time" online bus locator systems, mobile apps and more, and expects to expand most or all of those services to the full CT Transit fleet within the next 12 months.

Sanders said the CTfastrak discount arrangement is already extended into the CT Transit system, since many busway passengers use their monthly CT Transit passes for the CTfastrak fare. They can use those passes as proof of purchase to qualify for the CTfastrak discounts at businesses, Sanders said.